Teachers, who consider their job as a profession, work only for pay cheque. Their work is considered useful for their own sake. Since perchance they have occupied a professional chair they try for their own good, at the cost of the others.

But our cultural heritage proves that true teachers are those who consider their job as honourable. Their activities become honourable, only when they work with a sense of self-fulfillment and self-realization. Professor George Herbart Palmer once rightly said, “If Harvard does not pay me to teach, I would gladly pay Harvard for the privilege of teaching.” This should be the professional value of an Indian teacher.

An ideal teacher, as a professional person, should not work with pecuniary motives, but with a sense of dedication for the cause of education.

“He must be a man helping his brothers, a child leading other children, a light kindling other lights an awaken soul awakening other souls.” To follow professional value in its right perspective, a teacher must learn to teach, to influence and to show good examples to other.

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He must follow a code of ethics and maintain high professional standards. A branch of professional value not only right up a moral lapse for him, but casts a shadow on and weakness the whole corporate body of his profession. Hence a teacher must follow professional value for the sake of honour and for the sake of the welfare of the people of India.

Students tend to copy the behaviour and mannerism of the teachers. The teacher’s entire person is reflection on the minds of the students. If the teacher is honest, leads a balanced and discipline life, the children adopt these virtues as ideal conduct unconsciously.

The ideal teacher is one wit through his thoughts, words and deeds, gives an impression of an honest upright life which can serve as a model for the students to copy, follow and emulate.

The teacher should take a pledge to follow the code of ethic which may bring credit to the entire profession.

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The following code may be suggested which each teacher should understand and should try of adopt as his professional ethics.

(i) Towards Pupils:

It shall be our primary duty to understand them, to be just, courteous, sympathetic and helpful towards them, to promote a spirit of enquiry, fellowship and joy in them, not to do or say anything that would undermine their personality not to exploit them for personal interests and to set before them a high standard of character, discipline and personality.

(ii) Towards Profession:

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It shall be our primary duty to be sincere and honest to our work and to go thoroughly prepared to the class, to endeavour to maintain our efficiency by study and other means; not to do or say anything which may lower our prestige in the eyes of our pupils; not to write or encourage the use of help-books; not to expert any pressure upon our pupils or their parents to engage private tuition, not to act as an agent or accept commissions of their compensation for recommending books.

(iii) Towards Society:

It shall be our primary duty to set an example in citizenship, to endeavourto promotes the public good, to uphold the dignity of our calling on all occasions, to seize up the demands and aspirations of the society, to be dynamic leaders when required and to be ideal followers when desired.

(iv) Teacher’s Unions:

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Teachers unions can also play a very significant role in creating an atmosphere in which shirkers and other people with doubtful intentions may not find a congenial environment. Unions should create a public opinion which should serve as an adequate sanction against such unsocial acts.

Now teachers unions are merely used as a forum for ventilating their grievances and otherwise trying to promote service conditions. In addition, these unions should also take steps which may help the teachers in projecting their proper image amongst the people.